


Innocence

by holdouttrout



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-12-23
Updated: 2007-12-23
Packaged: 2017-11-15 20:59:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/531640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/holdouttrout/pseuds/holdouttrout
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vala learns about mistletoe. Really, that explains it all, no?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Innocence

As Sam came back from the bathroom, navigating between stacks of books in Cam's narrow hallways, she gradually caught the thread of the conversation they'd settled into--one that was much less somber than the one she'd left. It seemed there was only so much time SG-1 could spend on the gloom and doom of their situation before levity took over.

Teal'c baritone rumbled, still indecipherable, but that was mostly because of the gasps of laughter that punctuated the discussion, and not because of distance. Sam smiled as she went around yet another stack of books, thinking that she really would have expected this sort of thing from Daniel--although he had more bookshelves to keep his stacks contained, she supposed.

"I just don't understand what foliage has to do with kissing," Vala was saying.

Sam could practically hear Daniel straighten up and adjust his glasses. "Well, the tradition stems from the eighteenth century, when mistletoe was used to decorate for the Christmas celebrations--mostly in England. Some people say the kissing started because the inside of the fruit resembled, um...semen."

Sam choked with laughter at the silence that followed Daniel's words, deciding to stay behind the wall for just a minute. Finally, Cam said, "Ah--I didn't know that."

Vala's tone was light and mischievous, "I supposed that is appropriate, considering from everything I've read the English were even more straight-laced than you people." A crunch sounded, then a muffled, "What? it's always the repressed cultures that harbor the dirtiest minds."

A warm feeling stole over Sam as she listened to Daniel's protests and Cam's huffs of laughter. She knew that if she turned the corner, she'd see Teal'c pretending to be stoic, and Vala pretending that she hadn't started anything, thank you very much, wearing that pseudo-innocent look that Sam sometimes wanted to--well, she wasn't sure what she wanted to do, to be honest.

"It's not--the chivalry--just where is Sam, anyway?" Daniel blustered.

Sam decided she ought to go in before Daniel hurt himself. She pushed away from the wall, turning toward the living room as she did so, and found her arms full of something warm and solid.

She gasped in shock and inhaled Vala's spicy scent. They disentangled from each other. Vala recovered first and cocked her head.

"Ah. There you are."

Sam found herself trapped against a corner of the doorway, Vala standing just slightly too close to her for comfort, a grin practically spilling off her face and into the room. Sam turned her head to the living room, able to see her three other teammates. Teal'c looked stoically amused, Cam was shaking his head, and Daniel looked alarmed.

Sam frowned. Why would Daniel...?

"Oh, Sa-am," Vala called softly.

Sam turned back to Vala, who was looking up. Sam said, "What--"

And then it dawned on her. She looked up. Oh, no.

Vala stepped closer. "Tradition, right?"

Sam, even though she saw it coming, had no chance to utter even the simplest of protests. Vala simply leaned forward and caught her lips for a brief kiss. It was only slightly less chaste than a kiss from Daniel might have been, and a little less innocently sweet than one from Cam might have been.

It was something to consider.

Not that Sam planned on doing any such thing.

Vala pulled away, and Cam's snort of laughter broke through the fog that had inexplicably surrounded Sam.

"Uh--" Daniel said.

For one moment, Vala met Sam's eyes in surprise, and then her expression changed, her eyes reflecting nothing but sheer innocence. "What--did I do it wrong? I could always try again--" she said, and leaned forward again. Sam's back hit the wall behind her.

Cam hooted with laughter.

Teal'c stepped in to explain, "I believe that the tradition is generally to kiss someone of the opposite gender, Vala Maldoran."

Vala regarded Sam seriously. "I see." She rolled her eyes. "You think they'd tell people important details like that." Sam didn't think Vala looked particularly apologetic, but...

Sam waved a hand weakly. "It's okay. Cultural learning experience."

Cam laughed again. "Should have seen your face--deer in headlights!"

And after a few more jokes, a few blushes, and one searching look from Teal'c, they dropped the subject--although Sam wasn't so naive as to think that it wouldn't come up again.

And Sam, for all that she joked with the others, for all that she was willing and relieved to set Vala's mistake aside--she found herself staring at her ceiling that night, listening to Vala's even breathing coming from across the hall, thinking.

*_*_*_*_*_*

Vala woke early the next morning, when the sun was still just threatening the horizon. She'd stayed with Sam instead of going to base last night. It was a circumstance she found herself in more and more often, to her pleasure. She welcomed anything that got her out from between the dark, gray walls of the base.

Oh, she'd lived in worse places, but that didn't mean she preferred to spend all her time underground, trapped, alone.

Now a nice, temperate planet, sun, a slight breeze over sand as far as the eye could see--that was preferable.

A noise from across the hall broke her out of her reverie. She knew that soft hitch in the middle of a deep breath, the soft whisper as Sam slid out from between her sheets, the slightly sleep-heavy tread of her foot as she made her way to the bathroom.

Vala turned on her side toward the door as light stabbed out from Sam's bathroom and just as quickly faded.

That kiss. . .

Vala honestly hadn't thought anything of it at the time. A bit of fun, that's all--and it would be worth it--just to tease Sam about it later.

But she couldn't have guessed how it would affect her. Or Sam. Vala was still as she remembered how sweet Sam's lips had tasted beneath her own, how surprised Sam had looked, and how her own pulse had thudded in her ears.

The door across the hall opened again. The light flicked off.

Vala was out of bed and inside Sam's doorway before she could think better of it.

She cleared her throat, the sound seeming to disappear into the dark room as if it were never heard. "I knew that about the mistletoe--well," she amended, highly aware of the silence that met her words, "not about the kissing in general, but I knew that I wasn't supposed to kiss you."

Sam had stopped in front of the window, her silhouette outlined by the light coming through thin drapes from outside. When Vala had commented on this, weeks ago, Sam had said she liked being able to look out on sky, and they'd shared a look and a moment of comfortable understanding.

Sam cleared her throat. "I guessed that," she said, sounding thoughtful and amused and not exactly sleepy.

Sam stepped forward, and, in a move that took Vala's breath away, brushed one finger over Vala's bare shoulder. She traced the line of her shoulder blade, skimmed over the strap of her shirt, and then lifted her finger, poised for just one second in mid-air. Vala's eyes flew to Sam's face, and there was just enough light to see Sam's eyes, wide and dark.

Vala felt lightheaded, off-balance. She couldn't have said anything at that moment if her life had depended on it.

So she fell back on another old habit, coming forward, her body meeting Sam's, checking her motion a little too late and finding that she didn't need to. Sam was already pushing back. Their hands tangled as they reached around each other, their lips crashing together wildly at first, then tentatively, asking for permission already given.

Vala pulled back, feeling Sam hesitate.

"Something wrong?" she said, intending it to be light and hearing it rasp out on a heavy breath instead.

Sam shook her head. "It's just...not what I expected." She let out a low huff of laughter.

It was lighter, now. Vala could just see hints of color in the room. Sam wasn't moving toward her, but she didn't look like she was going anywhere, either.

Vala mocked, "I suppose you'd thought you'd be fucking Cam or Teal'c?"

Sam colored, but retorted, "Is that what we're doing? Fucking?"

Vala grinned. "Not yet." She slid her hands down Sam's back--her hands were already under Sam's top, she noted--and under the waistband of the flannel pants Sam wore to bed, inching slowly over the curve of Sam's butt. Sam drew in a shuddering breath and closed her eyes.

Vala continued, " _Someone_ ," she squeezed gently, and Sam pressed herself closer to Vala, "insisted on _talking_."

Sam moved her hands around to cup Vala's breasts, her thumbs playing over her nipples through Vala's shirt. "Stupid person," she muttered softly, ducking her head to capture Vala's lips between hers again, maneuvering them toward the bed, collapsing and dragging Vala with her.

Vala had two modes for sex--passive in order to get something she wanted later on, and demanding, aggressively taking what she wanted. She opted for the latter mode, but Sam wasn't going to let go easily. They rolled across the bed in a kind of mock combat, dragging off their shirts and sliding pants and underwear down hips with kisses and playful bites and small smirks, each one managing to regain control just as the other lowered her guard, neither keeping the upper hand for long.

Finally, though, Vala felt Sam's fingers clench on her shoulders, heard her hoarse cry. Sam's whole body relaxed, and Vala smirked as she wiped off her mouth and climbed up Sam's body. When she reached Sam's head, Sam pulled her down for a lazy kiss that changed as it went on, leading Vala to grind against Sam's leg.

Sam smiled and reached down, adding her fingers to the mix. It wasn't long until Sam's fingers twisted just right and Vala pressed down hard, her head thrown back, her throat working, although the only sound she made was a groan that cut off abruptly.

Spent and sure that she had exactly no bones remaining in her body, Vala flopped face-down beside Sam.

"That was... unexpected," Sam said, a hint of laughter still infusing her voice.

Vala groaned and turned her face to look at Sam. "If by unexpected you mean amazingly brilliant and shockingly hot--"

Sam laughed and tugged Vala over for a kiss. "It was my idea."

"It was not!"

Sam arched an eyebrow. Vala propped herself up on one arm and did her best to glare. "One word: mistletoe."

"You were joking."

"Was not!"

"Uh huh," Sam said, allowing her fingers to wander.

Vala swatted her hand away. "Oh, no. I'm not that easily distracted."

Sam grinned. "Are you sure?"

"I guess we'll find out."


End file.
